Travis Etienne, Najee Harris, Chuba Hubbard Top 2021 NFL Draft RB Prospects

Both college football and the NFL were hit with a stunner Friday as Clemson running back Travis Etienne announced he would return to campus for his senior season, forgoing the opportunity to turn pro this April. 

NFL teams will now have to wait another year before they can select him in the draft. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller had Etienne pegged as a top-50 player in the 2020 draft before the Tiger made his announcement. Now he's likely to lead a highly talented group of running backs into the 2021 draft. 

That doesn't make it a foregone conclusion Etienne will be a top pick next year. He'll have plenty competition as he looks to increase his value in the fall. 

Here's a look at who will be showing up on NFL draft boards this time next year:

Travis Etienne, Clemson

Etienne tops the list not just because he plays for a dynastic Clemson program, but because he remains one of the fastest running backs in the game—reportedly once running a 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds. The speed served him well in 2019 as he finished with the seventh-most rushing yards in the nation (1,614), second-most yards per carry (7.9) and the eighth-most touchdowns (19).

He'll return to campus as a top Heisman Trophy candidate, alongside his quarterback Trevor Lawrence, to say nothing of Clemson remaining a favorite to win the College Football Playoff. The Tigers are +200 (bet $100 to win $200) to take the title, per Caesars. 

The biggest risk in returning to college is whether or not Etienne can stay healthy. 

"Etienne improved his game throughout 2019 by showing more power, working on his pass-catching talents and being smarter with his bounceback cuts," Miller wrote after the national title game. "While there are rumors he could return to Clemson for his senior season, it's hard to imagine a 5'10", 200-pound back would want to put more hits on his frame before the NFL."

Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

Hubbard became college football's leading rusher last year with 2,094 yards and put the rest of the FBS and NFL scouts on notice. His 21 touchdowns (third-most in the country) kept them captivated. 

The sophomore exploded onto the scene in the Cowboys' season opener last year when he rushed for 221 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries against Oregon State. In five different games, he rattled off runs of 50 yards or more while eclipsing the 150-yard mark in six contests. 

Oklahoma State finished the season 8-5, but that's not indicative of Hubbard's contributions. As Miller noted in September, OSU has mostly been a pass-first offense under head coach Mike Gundy. The emergence Hubbard likely changes that calculus a bit. 

At 6'1", 207 pounds, Hubbard could end up as the top running back prospect in college football next season. 

Najee Harris, Alabama

Another year, another Crimson Tide running back emerging from Tuscaloosa. Like Etienne, Harris could've gone to the draft this year, but he decided to finish his degree and help Alabama get back to the College Football Playoff. 

Had he declared, Miller projected him as a second-round pick. 

Now Harris will look to improve upon a 1,224-yard, 13-touchdown junior season and potentially jump into the pool of top picks in the 2021 draft. If he does, he'll join the likes of Mark Ingram II, Trent Richardson and Josh Jacobs as Crimson Tide running backs under head coach Nick Saban to get selected in the first round.

At 6'2", 230 pounds, Harris has the size and speed to show out. Playing for Alabama, he'll certainly have the stage for it, too.